He's Only Human
by FunkyFish1991
Summary: The Teen Titans are a team of superheroes...but it is easy to forget that one of them is only human. What happens when the realization hits?
1. Shock

* * *

"Hold still." Raven said crossly. "Stop squirming or I can't help you."

Robin practically snarled at her as she jerked his leg onto her lap once more. "You're hurting me more than that is!"

He hurled a finger in the direction of the huge gash across his lower leg. He winced as Raven placed her hands on it again, but managed to keep from jerking it away. Her hands glowed white as she repaired his skin. When she drew her hands away the gash in his flesh was gone, though the tear in the clothing and the blood stains on it remained.

He stood, nodding his thanks at the girl in front of him as she pulled up her hood.

"Don't mention it," she said sardonically.

Robin stormed off to his room, leaving the other four Titans sitting miserably in silence. He flung open his wardrobe, pulling out another of his multiple costumes and changing into it. He quickly glanced at himself in the mirror and noticed small tear down the side of his mask. He was lucky it hadn't come off.

He grabbed another black mask from his wardrobe and exchanged it for the damaged one. He slumped down onto the bed, resting his elbows on his knees and his head on his fists.

They had just returned from an all-night fight with someone who called himself Obsidian. They had defeated him eventually, sending him running for sanctuary in the shadows and then losing him in the dark. But they had not escaped unscathed, as they usually did.

Robin was furious that he had gotten away – furious with himself for not being strong enough.

* * *

"Poor Robin," Starfire said, hanging her head dejectedly. 

"Yeah," Beast Boy said, scratching the back of his head. "I've never seen him so badly hurt before."

After Obsidian had blasted Robin with a black energy blast, Starfire and Cyborg had both unleashed furious blasts of their own at him, damaging him enough to send him scurrying away, defeated.

For now.

But Robin had been taken out, and Starfire had had to fly him home. The Titans could understand Robin's anger – his pride was wounded, and Robin's pride was his most powerful weapon. It had always kept him going.

The friends could not help but wonder what would happen now.

"Come on, BB," Cyborg said, evidently trying to sound light-hearted. "He wasn't that badly hit."

"Dude! He couldn't even walk!"

"Hey! I was just trying to lighten the mood!"

"Oh yeah? Well why don't –"

"Please stop!" Starfire cried. "The yelling is giving me an ache of the head!" She cupped her hands on either side of her head, as if to accentuate her point.

"Arguing will not help anyone." Raven pointed out.

"It is late," Starfire said after a few moments of silence. "We should be going to our beds now, and resting for tomorrow."

"Uh, Star," Cyborg said, gesturing towards the digital clock he had brought up on his arm. "It _is _tomorrow."

"Oh," she sounded deflated. "Perhaps an early morning nap, then?"

"Whatever," Raven said, turning and walking out of the room, her blue cape swirling out behind her. The remaining three watched her leave, before Cyborg stood and left, followed by Beast Boy.

Starfire wrapped her arms around herself and collapsed onto the couch. She was an alien, a girl from Tamaran. She was super-strong. She could shoot blasts from her hands and from her eyes. She could fly. Sometimes it was like she was invincible. She was not human.

But Robin was. And sometimes it was all too easy to forget it.

She stood and walked over to the glass wall, gazing out over the sea outside. She stayed there until the late morning, when her team-mates began to emerge for breakfast.

* * *

Cyborg spat out his tofu eggs in mortified disgust. Raven rolled her eyes surreptitiously over her herbal tea. The ritual continued. She counted down from three in her mind.

"Tofu!?" He gasped. "I need real meat! Not fake meat!"

"Dude! I don't eat meat! You can't expect me to cook you meat!"

Raven drowned out the squabbling, Robin ignored it, and Starfire watched it in despair.

"Friends! The squabbling must cease."

Suddenly the tense moment was intensified by a sharp ringtone. Robin looked down at his flashing communicator. He flipped it open and as he read it his face iced over.

The others knew before he said it. "Obsidian."


	2. Battle

Obsidian was in a huge warehouse, tossing boxes around and growling in anger periodically. He looked as though he was searching for something.

Starfire and Robin were crouched in the rafters. A green wolf slunk around on the floor between the crates. Raven was standing at the top of a pyramid of wooden boxes, her hood drawn over her face, her cloak fastened across her body. Cyborg was ducked behind another crate, waiting for the sound they were all used to hearing.

Robin's cry boomed through the caverous room.

"Titans - GO!"

Cyborg aimed a blue blast at the black-clothed intruder as Beast Boy morphed into a bull and charged. Raven swooped down from the sky and boxes began to turn black, lift and hurl themselves at the intruder. Starfire flew down, her eyes bright green, hurtling green blasts from her hands at the man. Robin swung down beside her, planting his feet solidly in the middle of the startled man's back, sending him flying towards Beast Boy, who morphed into an elephant and knocked the flying man aside with his trunk.

Obsidian heaved himself up from the floor where he had landed. His face was murderous.

"Get out of here - this is none of your business!"

They all ignored him completely, and Starfire blasted him backwards once more, with a blast from her eyes. She let out her fury with him for hurting her friend again and again as she rained blasts upon him, screaming with her anger.

"Dude!" Beast Boy called, shocked at her violent fury. "I thought _I _was the animal!"

Starfire let up, coming back from her mental place of anger and panting softly from her exertion.

Obsidian rose again, his eyes blackening, as if the pupils grew and swallowed up his whole eye. He raised his hand and fired a black blast at the Titans.

"_Azarath Metrion Zinthos_!"

Raven swept her hand in front of her and a black magic shield appeared in front of the teens. It deflected the blast back at Obsidian who leapt out of the way.

He snarled and fired more blasts at them, keeping on, driving them backwards. Raven shielded herself and levitated out of harm's way; Starfire flew around, dodging the blasts; Cyborg jumped for cover behind a pile of crates and Beast Boy morphed into a pteradactyl and launched into the rafters.

Robin flipped around wildly, evading the blasts. He flipped from the floor onto a pile of crates, to another, back to the floor, onto more crates.

Eventually Obsidian ceased the attack and rested his hands on his knees, panting heavily. Robin flipped through the air and kicked his opponant in the face, throwing him backwards against the wall.

Obsidian launched himself back into the air and knocked Robin backwards. He flipped in the air and landed on his feet in a crouch. He ran back towards Obsidian, but the villain suddenly was thrown sideways in an explosion of green light.

Starfire hovered above him, ready to hit him again. Obsidian moved his arm, and nobody noticed the tiny device fly out of his hand towards her but Robin.

"Starfire!" He yelled. "Look out!"

She whirled around in a circle but could not see the device in the dark room. Obsidian grinned sadistically.

A tiny red light flickered on the device as it flitted past Starfire, indicating its imminent activation. And Robin was willing to stake his mask on that activation being an explosion.

Before any of the other Titans had time to react, Robin shot a hook into the rafters and swung up towards Starfire, who was still frantically searching around her for the danger Robin had signalled.

He hit her with his feet, sending her tumbling through the air and crashing through one of the windows just before a tiny beep came from the still flying device.

An explosion ricocheted through the warehouse. The blast threw the other three Titans back against the walls. Raven stopped herself, floating high up in the rafters. Beast Boy morphed into a bird and flew over to Raven. Cyborg slid down the wall, crashing into a pyramid of crates and rubbing the back of his neck in pain as he sat amongt the splinters and wood shards.

Starfire shot back through the broken window she had crashed through moments before just in time to watch with the other Titans as their friend crashed to the floor.

"Robin!" Starfire cried. She dove through the air towards him, but was thrown off course by a weight crashing into her side.

She and Obsidian tumbled to the ground. She blasted him off of her. The two of them stood.

"You're next," he said menacingly, nodding towards Robin's inert form on the ground. He raised his fist, firing another black ray at her face.

Starfire lifted both hands and shot her own green blast back at him. The two rays of light met and joined together in a ball resembing lightning between the battling pair.

Starfire felt her resolve dwindle as she realized her power was waning. She glanced over at Robin, who was being leaned over by Raven, and her eyes flashed back to Obsidian's. They burned green and the energy radiating from her hands intensified.

The green light overcame the black and, with a bloodcurdling cry, Obsidian vanished in an explosion of black light that dissipated immediately and left no trace of its existance.

Starfire did not pause to register her shock over her loss of control before shooting over to where Robin lay, unmoving under Raven's glowing hands.


	3. Worry

Starfire kneeled in horror next to Robin, whose head was resting on the stomach of a large fluffy green dog lying on the floor. Raven's hands were glowing black over his body.

"Raven?" Starfire said, terrified of the answer.

Raven shook her head, retracting her hands and letting the glow fade away. "I can only heal surface wounds - not broken bones, and nothing as bad as this."

Starfire looked at the collapsed figure. Cyborg seemed to be scanning him, but then pulled his arm back and began computing the analysis.

Robin's costume was shredded, his cape incinerated. Most of the material was burned off of his chest, his legs. His boots were all but singed off, and his utility belt was charred. His black hair was mussed and practically obscured his face.

Starfire leaned forward on her knees, and felt her knee roll onto something hard. She started and reached onto the ground for the object. It was some sort of hard material, with two holes in the center, that were a faint red color. A tiny network of red wires criss-crossed the back of it.

Her tiny eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she turned it over. She gasped as she recognized Robin's black and white mask.

"Whoa, is that what I think it is?" Cyborg said, his mouth wide open.

"Dude!" Beast Boy said as he morphed back into a human, Robin's head still on his stomach. He leapt up and grabbed the mask from Starfire's grip.

Robin's head crashed to the ground. He moaned in pain.

"BB!" Cyborg yelled.

"Sorry Robin!" Beast Boy grovelled, leaning over him worriedly with the mask in his hands.

Robin's eye cracked open. He noticed the mask above him, and the other eye opened and both widened. He pulled one arm up to feel his temple, and winced when he realized he was not wearing his mask. His eyes flashed shut.

"Robin?" Starfire said softly.

He turned his head towards her but kept his eyes tightly shut.

"Hey Robin, it's okay - we had to see you without your mask sometime, might as well be now." Beast Boy said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Actually - I was planning never to let anyone see me without it." Robin retorted, his eyes still pressed shut.

"Well I don't care whether or not you want us to see your ugly mug, but if we don't get you back to the tower and my equipment - it won't matter anyway."

"Thanks for that piece of cheer, Cyborg," Beast Boy grumbled.

"Come on!" Starfire said, sliding her arms under Robin's limp form descisively. "We must do the 'getting going' quickly to save Robin!"

She flew out of the warehouse as fast as she could, closely followed by Raven, and a large green pteradactyl gripping Cyborg by the shoulders. They flew towards the tower, with Starfire casting periodic worried glances towards Robin, who seemed to have lost consciousness again.

* * *

Robin lay on the metal table in Cyborg's room, over which Starfire had placed a thick blanket for some padding. He wore a pair of Beast Boy's pajama bottoms, as the Titans had been unable to find any in his room, realizing that he actually slept in his costume and mask.

Various probes were attatched to his head and chest, monitering all his vital signs.

Or what was left of them.

Cyborg had picked up several broken ribs and two leg fractures from the fall on his scanners, though Raven had managed to heal all the surface wounds and burns.

Robin had still not regained consciousness, and in the bright light of Cyborg's room as opposed to the blanketing darkness of the warehouse, the Titans could see that his skin was unusually pale, and that his normally covered black eyebrows were drawn together in a pained frown.

Starfire laid a finger on his cheek. It was horribly warm to her touch and she pulled it back in fright.

"Cyborg? Robin has the fever, and the sweating forehead. I am worried."

"We all are, Star." Cyborg replied gently. "But until he wakes up, there is nothing we can do."

Starfire clasped her hands together against her chest and looked at the inert boy on the table. She brushed his hair back off his forehead.

"I feel so useless." She moaned.

"I know the feeling." Cyborg grumbled, looking at the screen that reported Robin's vitals. His heart rate was slow.

"Star, I'm starving. You wanna come down with me to get something to eat? It's been almost a day that you've been sitting here."

"No thank you, Cyborg. I wish to stay here with Robin."

"Alright. I'll be back soon."

She turned back to Robin's face, gnawing her bottom lip. She was so worried.

* * *

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Beast Boy asked, tapping the ends of his fingers together.

"I don't know, BB," Cyborg said, taking a monstrous bite out of his bacon sandwich. "I can't say. He's pretty beat up."

"I don't understand," Beast Boy said, slumping onto the sofa. "I never really imagined any of the Titans getting hurt!"

"Don't you see?" Raven said quietly from under her hood, her gravelly voice catching the boys' attention. "We are all proper Titans. Cyborg, you are superhuman because of your robot half. Beast Boy, you are superhuman beacuse of your shapeshifting abilities. Starfire is superhuman because she is not really human, she is a powerful alien. And I am likewise powerful, superhuman."

She pulled back her hood and looked severely at the two boys, who were captivated by her words.

"But Robin - he was never superhuman. He is only human. All he fights with is his courage. But courage cannot do everything. It was only a matter of time before he got hurt, and we were not able to rescue him."

Beast Boy's eyes glittered with realization, and Cyborg set down his sandwich, his hunger completely forgotten.

"We all," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We all thought, assumed, somewhere inside us that Robin was like us. We never really thought about it."

"That Robin is only human." Beast Boy finished, dejectedly.

* * *

Starfire lay on Robin's chest. She had fallen asleep when Cyborg had not returned, listening to his heart beat, to reassure herself he was still alive.

Suddenly a persistant warning beep woke her. Her head jerked up and she shrieked loudly. She calmed down slightly when she realized there was no immediate danger, and a little blush crept over her cheeks when she realized where she had been lying. Her eyes shot to the screen before her, to determine the source of the beeping.

It was only a few seconds later that she realized that it was not a warning beep, but a signalling of Robin's increased heart rate.

"He is waking up!" She whispered excitedly. His head moved slightly to the side and an eager grin brightened her face. She unconsciously placed a hand flat on his chest.

Suddenly the door flung open and the other three Titans burst in, their fists raised as if ready for battle.

"Star! You okay?" Cyborg demanded.

"We heard you scream!" Beast Boy added.

"Robin awakens!" She informed them excitedly as they dropped their fighting stances and rushed over, followed more sedately by Raven.

"Really!" Beast Boy asked, morphing into a puppy and jumping around excitedly on the floor.

Cyborg turned to the screen. "Looks like it!"

Robin moaned, and the four teens clustered around him, Beast Boy changing back human, their faces excited and eager to see their friend be alright.

Robin gasped a breath and sat up suddenly, his eyes opening wide.

All four Titans gasped in shock at what they saw.


	4. Leave

Robin snapped his eyes shut as soon as he had opened them, but the Titans had all gotten a good enough look.

Starfire's mouth dropped open in shock. She had seen the eyes below the black eyebrows, the brilliant whites, the icy blue color of the irises - and the faded grey color of the pupils.

None of them could speak for a while. Robin pulled up his knees and rested his elbows on them, his head hanging.

"Robin," Starfire breathed.

"You're, blind?" Beast Boy asked, stunned; his mouth, like Starfire's completely agape.

Robin looked up, opeing his eyes so they could all see. There was no mistaking it.

"Almost." He said.

"Did it happen in the explosion?" Cyborg asked, sounding as if he knew that answer but just wanted to confirm it.

"No." Robin slung his legs over the side of the table.

"How do you, fight so good?" Beast Boy asked.

"Sight isn't everything, Beast Boy." Robin replied. "Besides, my mask had a heat sensor built into it, which certainly helped."

Starfire turned, grabbing the mask from the side table Beast Boy had put it on when they had returned to the tower. She rubbed her thumb over it as she handed it to Robin.

He took it and held it for a moment before putting it on his face.

Starfire could not help feeling better when she saw the masked face that she was so familiar with once more.

Robin made to get up, but Cyborg put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him gently back down.

"You should really take it easy. You're still injured."

"I feel fine. A little achy, maybe, but at least let me go to my own r-"

"Please Robin!" Starfire pleaded. "You must rest."

"I don't need to rest! Just because you know I'm blind doesn't mean you have to baby me!"

"But, Robin, I-"

"Starfire! I'm still the same person! Don't you dare treat me like I'm-"

"You're only human, Robin!"

Cyborg and Beast Boy backed away as Robin's fists clenched by his sides. Starfire's eyes welled up as she slapped her hand to her mouth in shock over what she had blurted out - realizing she had hurt him.

"Fine." Robin's voice was low, and softly menacing. He rose and stalked out the door, leaving a cretfallen Starfire, a relieved Cyborg and Beast Boy, and a contemplative Raven staring after him.

* * *

Robin was in his room, packing up his things. He was fuming. It had happened again. When he had first lost his sight, he had been rejected by his teammate. He decided to work alone, so nobody could judge him. That was why he had been so determined to keep the other Titans from ever finding out his secret. 

But now they knew - and they too had rejected him. It was, once again, time to leave.

A soft knock at the door diverted his attention. He snapped his head up, his mouth curved into a snarl, ready to warn away whoever was at the door.

But before he could say anything, Raven phased through the door and floated over to him. She peered down at the almost-filled suitcase without a sound, then looked Robin in the eye.

"You're leaving."

"I'm not wanted here."

"Who said that?"

"Your eyes."

Raven silenced. She floated closer to Robin, reaching out and putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Where will you go?"

"Somewhere else."

"Great plan." Her voice was dry. "Will you ever belong anywhere?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Perhaps a better one would be: will you every belong anywhere, better than you belong here with us?"

"I don't belong. Starfire was right - you all have powers, you are all amazing and special. And I am 'only human'."

She nodded slowly. "Yes, you are only human. But you are better than any of us."

He cocked an eyebrow.

"Where would we have been on any of our missions without our leader? I hate to admit it, but that time when you fought us with Slade - we almost fell apart.

"You may not have powers, but you are the best fighter of us all. The Titans need you Robin, and we all know it. You know it."

She floated away from him, phasing back out through the wall, leaving Robin alone in silence.

* * *

The Titans were sprawled around their main room. Beast Boy and Cyborg had crashed on the couch, Raven sat on a ledge reading a black book, and Starfire was in the kitchen, concocting the Tamaranian food of farewell. 

When the doors hissed open, every pair of eyes flew to them but the two violet ones beneath a dark hood.

"Robin?" Beast Boy said tentatively.

"Are you saying goodbye?" Cyborg asked quietly.

Robin was silent for a long time.

"No."

"Dude!" Beast Boy yelled, morphing into a kangaroo and doing a backflip.

"Boo yah!" Cyborg said, punching the air.

Starfire squealed and ran to Robin, enveloping him in a crushing hug. He yelped in pain as she pressed against his injured ribs. She flushed and loosened her hold.

"Oh, Robin, I am so glad you will be staying with us here. We would have missed you greatly. And, Robin," she dropped her hands to her sides. "I am sorry for what I said. It was rude, and uncaring and the 'not cool'. And you are right. You _are_ still the same Robin. Please forgive me."

Robin nodded, taking her hands in his, smiling slightly, and pulled her into a hug.

"I won't be leaving you guys any time soon."

Raven looked up from her book, smiled, then turned back to it once more.

Suddenly the alarm went off. Everyone turned towards the door.

"Titans - GO!"

* * *

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* * *

Well, that's all. Hope you liked it! 

Tasha xXx


End file.
